How I Saved $2,100 when Purchasing My Latest Car

About two years ago, I had no car and desperately needed one. I also knew that I wanted no car payments and did not want to pay more than a certain amount for a car. I was being very picky and never thought I could actually get anything I wanted for the price I was willing to pay, but I found it and more.

Research

It took me about a month of tireless research to finally find the perfect car. I wanted a car with less than 70,000 miles, a flawless body and that was in solid mechanical condition. I also wanted a convertible. I was not willing to pay more than $4,000 for it. This was not something I was going to find overnight. So, I took to the internet. I searched all of the automotive websites and avoided personal classifieds. I wanted something with at least something of a guarantee.

Getting the Right Price

I had cash in hand so I knew I had some negotiation room. When I found the car I wanted, the original price was $6,000. I was not willing to pay more than $4,000 including tax and title. I paid just over $3,900 with tax and title when all was said and done. I negotiated the seller down $2,100. I was able to negotiate him down because I had cash, because it was in the dead of winter in Ohio and convertibles just were not selling at this time and because the car had been on the market for 60 days without movement. He didn't have to worry about bad credit checks or missed payments; I had cash and was ready to buy a car that was out of season.

Was the Deal Deceiving?

When I talked the seller down $2,100 I admit that I thought that things could be too good to be true. The body was in perfect shape and the car drove and sounded great, but of course, some things take a few weeks to start going wrong. However, I have had the car for two years now and with the exception of routine maintenance, I have had no trouble with this car.

This is proof that if you research well, have leverage and know what you want, you can find it and save plenty of money in the process. My car is a 1996, so it will not last forever, but it will surely last at least a few more years while I continue to put money back for something else.